Hillsong's History

I have had the opportunity of making a new friend, who has had the distinct pleasure of being a member of Hillsong church for a number of years. Trinidadian born Aaron Jaggdath has come to tell close friends and family alike of his experiences in the wonderful country of Australia. I have decided to let him realte the church's history for us to understand where the humble beginnings of the great worship leaders we sing songs from all started.  Over time Aaron would express in his humble words how he has felt honored to be in one of the greatest ministries.

Aaron tells of Hillsong's History Below:

From the humble beginning of a school hall to the new convention centre, Hillsong Church was started over 25 years ago by New Zealand –born Brian and Bobbie Houston. What started out as another local church plant, turned into one of the greatest church in today’s history.What God had in store for Brian and Bobbie and Hillsong was something so great that only God alone was worthy of the honour and glory from it.

Out of this local church in Sydney, Australia comes some of the most influential praise and worship anthems, sang in thousands of churches, in over 150 languages every Sunday morning.

Through this incredible house, God has raised up some of the most anointed worship leaders, none more so than the Darlene Zschech, the greatest worship leader I have ever seen in my lifetime thus far. Zschech has written, what some calls, the Christian anthem, “Shout to the Lord.” Along with other great songs such as, The Potter’s Hand, Worthy Is The Lamb, My Hope and many more.

Apart from Darlene Zschech, Reuben Morgan has been one of the main song writers at Hillsong Church, pioneering worship together with the rest of the team. One of Morgan’s more popular song is called “I Give You my heart,” or as it is more commonly known, “This Is my desire.” Some more of Reuben Morgan’s songs are, Eagle’s wings, My Redeemer Lives, You Said, Still, Mighty To Save, This is Our God and so much more.

Another veteran song writer is Marty Sampson, with songs like ‘You are my world’, ‘Take all of me’, ‘King Of Majesty’,’All I Need is You’, ‘God He Reigns’ and many more.

Over the years, there have been many other talented song writers stepping up. Joel Houston, Brooke Fraser, Matt Crocker, Ben Fielding, Jonathan Douglas, Miriam Webster, Geoff Bullock, Russell Frager and Mia Fieldes as just some of the other great songwriters who have been constantly writing the songs from God’s heart and bringing a new song to the church over the years.But Hillsong Church is more than just great worship, it’s about a bunch of local church goers, who all have such a passion for God and a love in their heart for people and seeing their local church and the Church become all that God created it to be.

Often referred to as the church that never sleeps, this great house has been one of the main voices in the forefront of the whole issue of justice being the heart of the church and the heart of God. Hillsong Church, though many great justice initiatives such as street teams and city care, has been reaching out to their city, planting over 6 extension services, across the campuses in the Sydney district.

Brian and Bobbie Houston moved from New Zealand in 1978 and joined the Sydney Christian Life Centre at Darlinghurst, pastored by Brian Houston's father, Frank Houston. They started Hillsong Church, which was then known as Hills Christian Life Centre, in August 1983 with services held at the Baulkham Hills Public School hall and with an initial congregation of 45. Within four years it had grown to 900 people. In 1990, the church moved from "the warehouse", which they had occupied since 1984, to hold services at the Hills Centre. In 1986, an annual conference was developed, now called Hillsong Conference, which was created to be a blessing to the church worldwide and to champion the cause of the local church.

In the early 1990s, praise and worship recordings from the Hills Christian Life Centre were released in Australia and internationally under the name Hillsong. This raised the profile of the church. The name is also used for a television show featuring clips from the videos of the recordings and a message from Brian Houston. In 1997 the church moved into its new building at Baulkham Hills' Norwest Business Park.

In the late 1990s the church realized that the name Hillsong was more well-known than Hills Christian Life Centre due to the branding of its recordings. The church was renamed Hillsong Church in 1999, about the same time its mother church, Sydney Christian Life Centre, was merged into Hillsong Church.

After further consistent growth, a new 3,500 seat convention centre at the church's "Hills" campus was opened, on 19 October 2002, by John Howard, the then Prime Minister of Australia. Due to the rapid growth of the "City" campus, in 2007 the church announced its intentions to develop a significant area of land on Rothschild Avenue,Rosebery into the new "City" campus. Over 20,000 people attend services each week

In September 1992, an outreach began in the October Palace in Kiev with team members from Hills Christian Life Centre (now known as Hillsong Church). Australian worship leader David Evans, USA pastor Mike Berry and former Hillsong youth pastor Darko Culjak as a part of Hillsong's Nation Builders mission outreach officially began the church in a 700 seat movie theatre in downtown Kiev. But none of this would have been possible without the assistance of Pat Robertson's CBN and their television ministry into the former Soviet Union under Steve Webber.

Through their assistance hundreds of young people committed their lives to Christ. Out of these initial outreaches Darko Culjak became the senior minister and established the church (then called "Kiev Christian Life Centre") officially on October 4, 1992. Darko Culjak lead the church, raised up a ministry team from among the new converts and oversaw the new church until Kiev's locally educated leaders could take over the work and come under the guidance and governance of Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia. On June 1, 1997, Darko turned the church over to a Ukrainian couple - Yevgeny (Zhenya) andVera Kasevich, who had been with the church since the day it was planted and have thus become the new Senior Pastors of the church. After their appointment, Pastor Darko left and spent some rest time in the USA until he returned to Australia to pastor the Newcastle City Church.

As of 2007, the church holds 6 to 7 services each weekend (the number changes from season to season) with a combined attendance of around 3000. Pastors Zhenya and Vera have since gained an international recognition and are being invited to speak at various churches and Christian conferences around the globe.

But Kiev was not the last stop. Pastor Brian Houston is a visionary and through a lot of prayer, Hillsong Church started a new plant in 1999 with Gary and Cathy Clarke in London. Now this is a thriving church making a lot of headway in what is deemed, one of the loneliest cities in the world

Between 2000 and 2002 Hillsong London met in various West End theatres and university halls around London. Towards the end of 2004, they ended a 2 year residency in the Mermaid Conference and Events Centre, holding seven services a weekend. As of January 2005, the church holds four services on a Sunday at the Dominion Theatre, which seats around 2200 people. In August 2005, Hillsong London began holding services in Leatherhead, Surrey (south west of London).

Church services at the Dominion Theatre are currently at 10.30am, 1.00pm, 3.30pm and 6.00pm and services in Surrey are at 10.30am and 5.30pm. Services have also begun Amsterdam on Sundays.

Over the four services held every Sunday in the Dominion Theatre and two services in Leatherhead, Surrey, the total congregation size is around 9,500 people.

On Sunday 13th September 2009 Hillsong London held a service at the LondonO2 Arena, to celebrate 10 years of the church in London. More than 14,000 people attended, and thousands more were unable to get inside, as the hired area of the venue was at capacity.

In 2008 Hillsong South Africa was born. Pastored by former Hillsong United pastors, Phil and Lucinda Dooley, Hillsong South Africa is fast becoming a voice of change in the nation of South Africa. Church services commenced on the 15 June 2008 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre where over 3000 people attended the first services.

Three Sunday services are currently hosted, at 09h00, 11h00 and 17h00.

Planning is also underway for a facility to provide accommodation for around 100 vulnerable and needy children in Thembaletu.

After Kiev and London and South Africa, Andreas and Lina Nielsen, founding and senior pastors of Passion Church in Stockholm, Sweden, came under the covering and branching of Hillsong Church, to be what is now, Hillsong Stockholm.

Hillsong Brisbane Campus (formerly Garden City Christian Church) became the next campus of this Sydney based church. The Church was without a Senior Pastor and Brian Houston and Bobbie Houston accepted the nomination of the Board for appointment as Senior Pastors of the Church by an extraordinary general meeting of members that was held on Sunday 26 April, 2009. At this Extraordinary General Meeting, approximately 79.1% of Members present on the day (approx 60% of the total membership) agreed with the recommendation of the board to appoint these Pastors as the Senior Pastors of the congregation. Sunday services are held at 8:00am, 9:00am and 11:00am as well as a Friday night service at 6:30pm. It also features a prominent Deaf Ministry, one of the pioneering Deaf Ministries of Australia.

The church was established in 1955 as Mt. Gravatt Assembly of God by Pastor Garnett Budge. In the 1980s, under the leadership of Senior Pastor Dr. Reginald Klimionok, the church experienced a revival, with a second new church building being constructed and opened, adjacent to its Rover Street site, seating over 2,000 persons, and membership soared to over 3,500 persons. Its name changed to Garden City Christian Church, it quickly became Australia's first mega church. As of 2009 the church was attended by approximately 3,000 people and had 50 staff. On the 24th of May the same year, Garden City Christian Church became a campus of Hillsong Church.

In March 2010, Hillsong announced plans for a new church in New York, United States, Pastored by Carl and Laura Lentz and Joel Houston, together with Reed and Jess Boggard.

In 2008 Hillsong celebrated their 25th anniversary and for all that this church has accomplished by the grace of God, the best is yet to come!

Written by :

Esther James

 

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